Tent Camping vs. RVing

The jury is still out on the subject what is better: tent camping or RVing.

To some die-hard campers RVing isn’t even real camping. On the other hand, some RV’ers would not be caught dead sleeping in a tent. Now that I have tried both types of camping I have my own opinion on the subject.

Of course there are certain pros and cons for each form of recreation, but in my opinion both are legitimate forms of camping.

Tent camping:

You can go backcountry or wilderness camping or backpacking. You are not bound by park locations. You are as free as a bird and you may camp where no one has gone before. You may choose to go car camping, but you may also decide to bike or canoe to your campsite.

Sleeping in a tent is as close as you can get to sleeping outside, and still being protected from the elements.

I slept in a tent many times and quite a few times in a backcountry. Once we had to paddle our canoe for hours to get to a remote island in Killarney Park. It was fun and an adventure. Scenery was breathtaking. Mosquitoes were merciless and some nights  were very chilly. No bathroom or shower with hot water in sight. Our cheap little tent leaked in the rain. Later it was replaced by a bigger and waterproof one. I was scared of bears since bear encounters seem very different in the wilderness than near the garbage bin at a large campground full of people and park rangers with riffles.

RVing:

In your RV you may still stop and sleep almost anywhere, where the road leads you,  since you have your own house with you. Even at Walmart parking lot, if you choose so. But you will not get to any remote areas.

You can also get benefits of fresh air, by opening all your windows, but it is not going to count as sleeping outside.

In the rain, being in a trailer beats being in a tent, hands down. Especially in a downpour, when going outside is not an option. Spending hours sitting in a tent with wet clothes and wet kids (and potentially a wet dog too) is not exactly my favourite thing to do. While spending a few hours locked in a trailer with a full kitchen and a bathroom may actually be a very pleasant experience. Think of all the meals you can prepare and eat in your dinning room, books you can read lying on a sofa and articles you can write on your laptop.

I love my trailer and would not trade places with my neighbours in a tent. I grew accustomed to being warm and dry. I no longer wake up in the middle of the night on a deflated mattress. I have my bathroom nearby for night-time trips. I do not need to pitch tents or fold them back on the last day. However, I need to do quite a lot of housekeeping chores, just like at home.

But the bottom line is: whether in a tent or trailer you may still share the same park, weather conditions, public washrooms and showers, bugs and neighbourhood of other fellow campers. You can even camp right next  to each other. So be courteous to each other and stop arguing already.

If you are ready to trade your tent for something more comfortable try a pop up trailer. It really is a hybrid between a tent and a trailer.